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Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Winter is here, but so far we don't have any snow. We had a light dusting at the beginning of November, but that went away after a few days when it got warmer again.

Theomerla in the first snow of the winter, November 2016.

Lake Vänern November 2016

Now we are waiting for the snow to return, hopefully we will have a white Yule.

So what have we been up to here at Theomerla?

Graham is currently decorating the double guest room, ready for next season and Tia has been making new craft items to sell in our online shop, eventually we will also have a small shop here at the farm, but for now anything made will be sold online and around the house.

Tomorrow we will be going out and looking for a self seeded tree to bring in and decorate for Yule. Last year we had a massive tree, this year we are going to look for something a bit smaller. We will post photographs.

Tuesday, 4 October 2016

I love all the seasons for different reasons and here in the forest autumn is beautiful. The leaves are lovely colours and falling to the ground, when you go outside there is a wonderful autumn scent in the air that reminds me winter is not far away.

The days are shorter now, still sunny and inviting, but it is getting colder. This morning we had the first frost of the year, all the grass was white, it soon melted in the sun.

We currently have Paula from Germany staying here as a volunteer and she has been helping Graham get the leaves up.

Friday, 12 August 2016

August already! How time has flown. Here at Theomerla Eco Project Kristinehamn Sweden, we have been so busy. I thought I had better update everyone as to what has been happening.

Theomerla has had guests and volunteers staying here this summer from all over, we have had people from Germany, Taiwan, The Netherlands, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Norway, Belgium, Spain and Sweden so far, and soon we will have some French visitors and a French volunteer.

Things Theomerla has achieved so far:

We got the guest cottage decorated, fully furnished and booked out to a selection of guests. This also involved getting the cottage website up and running, advertising it on various listing sites, photographing it and creating information packs, merchandise and various other things for guests.

We designed signs, got them printed and put them up in various locations, which will help people find us and find out about us.

We have cleared most of the land around the guest cottage.

Cleared a large area of land at the back of the main farm house which we want to put log benches and a fire pit on.

Furnished and started renting out three bedrooms in the main farmhouse to retreat guests and B&B guests. These rooms are also used for volunteers.

Advertised our first events.

Registered Theomerla here in Sweden.

Made various crafts, put them up for sale here and online.

Got to know some of the neighbours, local farmers and business owners.

Installed a solar shower outside by the pool.

Inside Elk Grove Cottage

We have achieved so much since November 2015 when we first moved in. We couldn't have done this without the help of our members, friends and volunteers. Your donations and help has meant so much to us and helped get this far, but there is so much more needed.

We still need all kinds of things and help to get us fully up and running, these include:

Solar Panels - to keep costs down and help us be more self-sufficient and eco-friendly.

A tractor - to help prepare the fields for growing crops and establishing a small campsite.

Poly tunnels - so we can start to grow the vegetables and fruits.

Various other hand and power tools.

What we hope to achieve over the coming months.

As autumn and then winter approaches, we hope to use this time to clear more of the land ready for spring. We are hoping to get some poly tunnels by then, so we can start planting seeds.

We have such a long way to go yet, so please - keep supporting our efforts. You can help in so many ways: Why not book a holiday in Elk Grove Cottage or at our B&B? Or book to come for a retreat and attend some of our events. How about buying more shares in Theomerla, or making a donation? Get involved with our Treasure Hunt, where you could also be a winner. How about buying some of the handmade artisan items from our online shop? And remember to tell all your friends and family about our Eco Retreat and Elk Grove Cottage!

Anyone who loves nature, wildlife, peace and tranquillity will absolutely love it here, no matter what time of year you visit.

In December, January and February it is a winter wonderland, time for skiing, ice skating, fishing and playing in the snow. The scenery looks so beautiful in the snow and this is the best time to see the Northern Lights.

March, April and May are the best months for elk, deer and other wildlife spotting. Everything starts to wake up and come back to life at this time. The flowers, plants and blossoms on the trees are stunning.

June, July and August are the hottest months, a great time for swimming in the pool here, or in the many lakes within easy reach, for visiting castles, museums and markets or get on a boat and island hop on the largest lake in the EU or just enjoy the sun.

September, October and November are the best months for mushroom hunting, berry picking and foraging for wild fruits.

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

The weather is beautiful and we are enjoying having Theresa from Germany staying with us as a volunteer, it is amazing how much more we can get done with an extra pair of hands. She is lovely too. A Taiwanese girl is supposed to be arriving on Monday also, I hope she comes. Today two Canadian girls are coming and stopping for one night bed and breakfast in the house with us, so it will be interesting to meet them too. I love that Theomerla is becoming an international hub, people from all over the world meeting here and connecting. Everyone we meet brings something new to our life, all encounters with another human are special in some way, they all teach us something new about ourselves.

Saturday, 28 May 2016

The Theomerla Treasure Hunt is now underway. Make sure you secure your boxes before someone else gets them, or they run out. We have 273 boxes and anyone one of them could contain the treasure. Search the map now and try to find the booty.

Friday, 27 May 2016

Each season brings something new to see here, more surprises are springing up all the time. I thought I would share some footage of the wildlife and some photographs of I have been taking over the past couple of days.

Monday, 2 May 2016

I don't think we could have found a more beautiful place to start up Theomerla. Yesterday evening as the sun was shining in through the kitchen window, we were sat at the table chopping veg for dinner and looking out watching elks in the fields. It seems like a dream, but it is real. When I go outside they just look at me, but they don't run away, that worries me a bit, because if they are this tame in hunting season around humans that can only be a bad thing for them.

As I sit writing this now from my office I am looking out at one large elk grazing in the field, they seem to be here every evening now and for us, who were so excited to just see one when we first got here, it is really amazing.

Getting this far has been hard and we also have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but being here surrounded by nature and such beauty makes it all worth while.

Friday, 1 April 2016

Our Guest cottage is now available to book from July 2016. This lovely cottage is in a wonderful spot for a lovely relaxing holiday. From the cottage you will be sure to spot some of the local wildlife including elk and deer.

The sunny secluded decking area is perfect for sunning yourself, observing wildlife and having bbqs. As a guest you also get use of the private on site pool.

The largest lake in Europe is just 10 minutes away by car and Kristinehamn town centre just 20 minutes.

Thursday, 7 January 2016

Every time you buy a share in Theomerla or make a donation you helping us get closer to our goals.

We have set up a priority list so you know exactly how your money is helping. When you come to visit you will be shown what work has been done and what items have been bought with the money you send.

Guest House - Getting the guest house up and running is our first priority because as soon as it is usable we can rent it out and bring some money into the community that way.

Bathroom - We want to get an extra toilet put in at the side of the house, this will mean that when people are working outside they don't have to walk through the house to go to the loo. It will also mean we have a loo and shower room for campers to use when they stay here, again without them having to come into the house. The door could be left unlocked much of the time as there will be an inner door to the house which will remain locked, this will make it ideal for campers who will need 24 hour access to these facilities.

Yurt - This will be good for doing retreats, it also means there is more room and two different classes could be happening at the same time. The farmhouse lounge is also used for ceremonies, meetings and workshops.

Solar Panels - We want to get as many solar panels up as quickly as possible, this will reduce the electricity bills and free up more money for community projects.

Tractor - At the moment the local farmer is looking after our fields, keeping them cut down and using the silage as payment for that. We want to put soft grass on the fields and set them up for camping, this would be near impossible without the help of a tractor and other farm equipment.

This information has also been added to the Theomerla web site on the fundraising page.